Diana Palmer - Diana Palmer Texan Lovers - Calhoun / Justin / Tyler / Sutton's Way / Ethan / Connal

Misty raised an eyebrow. “Well…it might be nice at that. But you said you wanted to room with me.”

Mrs. Simpson excused herself, asking Abby to phone her later about a date for moving in.

Abby moved with Misty to the door. “Let’s face it,” she told her friend, “you want to entertain men, and I’ll have Calhoun and Justin all over me if they find out about it. I’m sure you don’t want them on your case.”

Misty shuddered delicately. “Are you kidding? Calhoun, maybe, but not Justin! That man doesn’t have a humorous bone in his whole body.”

Abby remembered how amused Justin had been about Calhoun’s behavior, but she just nodded her head.

“Let’s have coffee,” Misty suggested. She drove them back into town in her little sports car and parked beside the bank. The two women had just gotten out of the car when Tyler Jacobs and his sister Shelby came around the corner looking somber and disturbed.

Abby greeted them. “Tyler. Shelby. How are you?”

“This isn’t a good time to ask,” Shelby sighed, but she smiled. She was a dish. Short dark hair framed her elfin face, and she had eyes that were an odd shade of green, almost glassy in color. Her mouth was perfect, and she was tall. She would have made a fortune as a model, but her parents wouldn’t have heard of such a profession for their only daughter.

Tyler was like his sister in coloring. He had thick dark hair, almost black, and an olive complexion and the same odd-colored green eyes. He was as big as Calhoun, but slender. Whipcord-lean and dangerous-looking. He wasn’t handsome at all, but he had character, and women usually found him irrestible.

Misty turned to see where Abby had gotten to and smiled delightedly at Tyler.

“Well, hello,” she drawled. “Fancy seeing you here.”

“Hello, Misty,” he said, smiling lazily. “You look devastating, as usual. What are you two doing in town on a Sunday?”

“Looking for an apartment to share, originally.” Abby sighed. “But we wound up with one each, across town from the other. I’m renting from Mrs. Simpson, and Misty has a neat place overlooking the bank.”

“Right up there, in fact.” Misty pointed across the street. “It needs decorating, but I can take care of that.”

Abby grinned. “I’ll bet you can.”

“Come and have coffee with us,” Shelby invited. “Tyler needs cheering up. We had a bad blow yesterday, and an even worse one today.”

Abby looked up at him. He did seem reticent. And moody, which was totally unlike him. “I’m sorry. Can I help?”

“You little doll,” he murmured, and touched her hair gently. “No. But thanks for the offer. How’s Calhoun?”

Abby averted her eyes. “He’s fine, I guess. He and Justin are both at home.”

“No problems the other night after Calhoun got you home?” Tyler persisted with a teasing smile.

“Only the usual lecture,” Abby said. She managed a shaky smile as all four of them went down the street and entered a small cafeteria.

They were quickly seated, and the waitress brought four cups of coffee and a pitcher of cream.

Shelby cast a glance at Abby and laughed softly. “You devil,” she teased.

“I just wanted to see how the other half lived,” Abby sighed.

“I did my best to help you,” Misty sighed. “On the other hand, weren’t you lucky that it was Calhoun and not Justin who came after you? Calhoun is a little more easygoing.”

“Not lately, he isn’t,” Abby said tautly.

At the mention of Justin, Shelby became quiet and shy. Abby felt sorry for her. Justin had never gotten over Shelby’s defection. He probably never would, and Shelby had to know that.

“How is Justin?’ Tyler asked casually. Too casually.

“He goes to work and comes home and goes to work and comes home,” Abby said as they added cream and sugar to their coffee.

Misty yawned. “What an exciting life.”

“He’s lonely, I suppose,” Abby said deliberately. “He never goes anywhere.”

“I know somebody else like that,” Tyler murmured with a hard glance at Shelby, who shifted restlessly in her seat.

“How’s the horse business going?” Abby interrupted, posing the question to Tyler as she sipped her coffee.

“Going bust, I’m afraid,” he said heavily. “Dad made some bad investments before he died. So far, I’ve managed to meet the payments. This month I defaulted.” His face hardened. “I’m going to have to sell Geronimo.”

“Oh, Tyler, I’m sorry.” Abby grimaced. “He was your favorite.”

“Mine, too,” Shelby said with a sigh. “But we can’t keep him and pay off Dad’s debts. I don’t suppose you’d want him, Abby?”

“I don’t ride that well,” Misty confessed.

“If I can talk Justin into it I’d like to have him,” Abby said gently.

“Thank you, Abby, but that wouldn’t be a good idea,” Shelby replied. “Justin would go right through the roof if you asked him.”

“Like a rocket,” Tyler said, smiling at Abby. “No, we’ll do it through an agent. We won’t have any problems selling him. I’d rather know who he was going to, that’s all. Some people want a horse strictly for breeding purposes. They look at dollars and cents, not at the horse itself.”

“I’ve got a cousin in Texas,” Misty piped up. “She’s trying to hold on to the ranch all by herself. It’s a horse ranch,” she added. “Does that tell you anything?”

He smiled. “Enough. I’d appreciate it if you’d put her in touch with me.”

“I’ll give her your number, if you don’t mind.”

“Fine.”

Lights gleamed in Shelby’s black hair as she lifted the cup and finished her coffee. Abby wondered at her elfin beauty, and thought it strange that a man like Justin could attract such a lovely woman when he wasn’t handsome or even very personable. Then Abby remembered how kind he’d been to her in Houston, and the way he’d supported her with Calhoun. On the other hand, maybe it wasn’t so surprising that he could attract her. What was surprising was that he’d ever let her go. It made Abby uncomfortable, thinking about how two people could be so much in love one day and bitter enemies the next. Love didn’t last, after all.

“Tyler, we’d better go. I’ve got to call Barry Holman about those bonds and securities we’re selling,” Shelby said gently. “I’m sorry. I’d love to stay and talk. We hardly ever see each other these days, and I guess Justin would burn the house to the ground before he’d let me through the front door to visit you.”

Tyler sighed. “He holds a grudge longer than any man I’ve ever known, that’s for sure. And without reason.”

“No,” Shelby pleaded, her green eyes seeking his. “Please don’t. Abby owes him her loyalty. Don’t put her in the position of having to defend him.”

“Sorry,” he said, his green eyes glittering with controlled rage. Then he smiled at Abby. “There’s a square dance at the dance hall next Friday night. How about going with me?”

Abby hesitated. Justin would be furious, and she didn’t like to think about what Calhoun might say or do. He was so unpredictable lately. On the other hand, going out with Tyler would show Calhoun that she wasn’t going to make eyes at him any more….

“Don’t do it,” Shelby pleaded. “Can’t you see, it will only make things worse.”

“For whom?” Tyler shot back. “Could the situation possibly be any worse for you? My God, you’re living like a nun!”

Shelby put her napkin down with calm, steady fingers. “The way I live is no one’s concern except my own.” She stood up. “Abby, Justin would come down on your head like Judgment. He isn’t the man he was. I’d hate to see you caught in the cross fire.”